Wine collecting can be an expensive hobby. Hopefully you have invested in a good quality wine cellar to begin with. Then probably the next biggest concern is what wine cooling unit you need. Good wine cooling units start at over $1,000 and can climb to over $4,000. The most inexpensive wine cooling from WhisperKOOL is the 1600 and that is what this WhisperKOOL review will focus on.
The WhisperKOOL 1600 can efficiently cool a space no larger than 300cuft. In other words a cellar that is only 6ft x 6ft (with an 8ft ceiling). This assumes that you have taken the appropriate steps in constructing your wine cellar, ie. framed construction (not concrete), proper insulation and vapor barrier. If you have tried to cut any corners then you may need the next cooling unit up called the WhisperKOOL XLT 3000.
Ok, so the WhisperKOOL XLT 1600 is what is known as a self-contained or through-the-wall cooling unit. What this means is the evaporator and condenser are combined in the one unit. Probably the biggest advantage to this system aside from it being the most inexpensive is the ease with which the unit can be installed - which incidentally will save you more money as an HVAC technician is not needed. There should be little modification to existing wall structures as the WhisperKOOL 1600 is designed to install through-the-wall and between existing wall studs.
The major limitation of the WhisperKOOL 1600 that you need to be aware of concerns what is called the temperature differential; it is only 30F. This is basically the maximum temperature difference possible between the wine cellar and the space the cooling unit vents to. What this means is that if you vent the unit outdoors you should not live in a region where temperatures exceed say 85F. You will require a more powerful self-contained model or split system model.
So, if you are looking for a good quality affordable cooling unit for a small wine cellar the WhisperKOOL XLT 1600 may be for you. Just take the time to consider the points above to make sure it is the right model for you particular situation.